Monthly Archives: July 2015

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To view available rugs and art, please go to the SHOP section in the main menu.

This is one of a small group of dazzling Persian bird motif runners from northwest Iran. They were woven in villages in the Rudbar district (also Roodbar), and feature blues, both dark and light, as the primary field color with birds and tree of life designs.

Expertly crafted with fine wool on cotton warp. Reds, turquoise, orange as accent colors. Excellent overall condition with almost no signs of wear. Small hardly noticeable repair on the side cord. 1970s.

This runner features a good deal of abrash (variegation in dye batch) in the darker colors and blues to render a painterly effect to the carpet.

Out of my personal collection. There are four of them in total and once they are gone, they are gone. It took me quite a while to assemble this group and I never see them these days. They are really wonderful tribal works of art from the mountains of northern Iran.

Rudbar means ‘by the river’ in Farsi. The Sepid river runs through the city of Rudbar.

Great opportunity for someone to pick up a couple of matched runners with a bird motif and fabulous tribal colors.

Price is $749. Shipping within continental U.S. is $45 (heavy rug). Local pickup is an option.

This is one of a small group of dazzling Persian bird motif runners from northwest Iran. They were woven in villages in the Rudbar district (also Roodbar), and feature blues, both dark and light, as the primary field color with birds and tree of life designs.

Expertly crafted with fine wool on cotton warp. Reds, turquoise, orange as accent colors. Excellent overall condition with almost no signs of wear. Small hardly noticeable repair on the side cord. 1970s.

This runner features a good deal of abrash (variegation in dye batch) in the darker colors and blues to render a painterly effect to the carpet.

Out of my personal collection. There are four of them in total and once they are gone, they are gone. It took me quite a while to assemble this group and I never see them these days. They are really wonderful tribal works of art from the mountains of northern Iran.

Rudbar means ‘by the river’ in Farsi. The Sepid river runs through the city of Rudbar.

Great opportunity for someone to pick up a couple of matched runners with a bird motif and fabulous tribal colors.

To view available rugs and art, please go to the SHOP section in the main menu.

Eye-catching old Berber rug from Morocco with a large hooked diamond medallion, and four camels (or brontosaurus perhaps). Wonderful motif, very unusual, with loads of detail and character. The red field was hard to capture in the photos. Not crimson. Other colors include olive, ivory, and orange.

Woven from 100% wool. Pile condition is good with some normal wear. No holes or real problems. A little diffusion of the yellow gold (saffron?) in the border. These Moroccan tribal pieces often use saffron to create a distinctive color not seen in Turkish and Persian rugs.

Original ends and side cords — which are in good condition. Vintage tribal Moroccan rugs are less common and highly sought after by collectors, dealers, and designers.

This rug has a soft woolen weave suitable for tribal nomads. The rug can be easily unrolled for a celebration, a meal, or to serve as the floor of a tent. In preparation for a move, the rug can be quickly folded and packed away.

This rug is perhaps not a suitable choice for a high traffic area of a home. It would work well in a bedroom or office. Add pillows and this rug could serve as a nomadic enclave for visitors to sit on the floor and share a meal.

To view available rugs and art, please go to the SHOP section in the main menu.

Amazing old Persian village carpet with traditional Lilihan floral motif. Typically these are woven in the Hamadan region by Armenian tribal weavers. 1960s. Outstanding colors including the primary field of salmon — with accents of green, blue, indigo, red, olive, brown, gray and ivory.

Very minor fringe wear. Rug is very solid and finely woven, and can be used in a high foot traffic area without concern. Difficult to find well crafted narrow runners — especially of such exquisite beauty. Minor abrash (color variegation in the dyes) with one end maybe slightly lighter than the other.

Last photo with Morgan silver dollar shows the back of the rug.

Natural wool on natural cotton. Exact size is 12 ft. 5 in. by 2 ft. 10 in. Perfect for a narrow hallway or corridor with lots of light to show off its beauty.

Persian Armenians are the largest Christian minority in Iran, and many estimates put their numbers at 150,000 to 300,000. Although Lilihan rugs are commonly associated with Persian Armenian weavers, there is obviously nothing distinctive between Muslim and Christian carpets unless they contain religious symbols such as mihrabs, mosques, churches, crosses, or quotes from the Koran, etc.

Many of the Lilihan rugs have an ‘art deco’ look to them and are similar to Sarouk and Mahal rugs– especially from the 1920s and 1930s.

Price is $459. Shipping is $43 within U.S. Free local pickup can also be arranged.

To view available rugs and art, please go to the SHOP section in the main menu.

Awesome geometric hooked medallion rug with strange humanoid figures. Based on dyes and weave, this is a Persian village Bakhtiari or possibly Luri rug. The motif is not a common one for the Bakhtiari as they tend to weave Heriz style medallion or floral garden type rugs for the most part. This would be a more common design around Shiraz and the Qashqai weavers of the Zagros Mountains.

If Swiss author Erich von Daniken had come across these mysterious humanoids on a rug (second photo), he might have claimed them as evidence of alien visitations to the Middle East in his book Chariots of the Gods. All kidding aside, they are odd little figures but very traditional. The same figures appear occasionally on hundred year old Malayer and Hamadan rugs. (Even more proof they must be aliens–they only have 2 or 3 fingers on each hand!)

Chariots of the Gods

Condition is generally very good with some minor wear on the pile. No repairs, weak spots, or odors.

Short natural wool pile woven onto cotton warp. 1960s. Rug could be used in a high foot traffic area of your home or office. Out of my personal collection. Size is 9 ft. 1 in. by 4 ft. 6 in.

To view available rugs and art, please go to the SHOP section in the main menu.

Very heavy handmade runner from northern Iran. Dazzling colors across a dark field (nearly black), a central medallion and two wing medallions in navy blue, red lions, botehs (the figures that look like floating amoebas), and wide violet – rose borders.

Stylized tree-of-life motifs. These rugs are believed to symbolize the royal Persian courts of antiquity. Lions, of course, are associated with Persian history and royal leadership.

Very good condition with minor wear. Woven by Kurdish or Azeri village weavers on a home loom. Generally sold as Bijar rugs– which are dense, heavy rugs created by Kurdish weavers in western Iran. 1960s.

The boteh design originated in Kashmir, migrated into Persian rugs several centuries ago, and eventually was copied by the British textile industry to become known as Paisley (after the Scottish town where it was produced in large volumes). The boteh remains an important design element in many Persian rugs.

Exact size is 8 ft. 5 in. by 3 ft. 10 in. Natural wool woven onto cotton. Quite dense and heavy. Very good choice for high foot traffic area as it will not shift around as some carpets will if walked on vigorously.

To view available rugs and art, please go to the SHOP section in the main menu.

Dazzling large village runner from Hamadan District of Iran. This is a traditional Mazlaghan ‘lightning’ motif — serrated gold lightning enclosing red medallions, black fields, and creating a vibrant geometric design.

The rug has quite a bit of abrash (variation in color due to different wool dye batches) — which creates muted areas as well as bold zones on the rug.

Wool on cotton warp & weft. Excellent overall condition with only minor wear. No holes, stains, or issues. Incredible art for your floor! Ready to use. This rug has a dense weave and can handle foot traffic. 1970s.

Very good size at 12 ft. 6 in. by 4 ft. Mazlaghan rugs are a personal favorite, but they are generally on the small side (3 by 5 feet or 4 by 6). Not easy to find a good-sized runner like this one.

To view available rugs and art, please go to the SHOP section in the main menu.

Vibrant old tribal geometric rug from the Mazlaghan village in the Hamadan District of central Iran.The weavers in this locale have been weaving an eye-catching version of this motif going back at least into the 19th century.

This one features rounded icons on a dark blue-black field with a central crimson medallion. Stylized floral border and highlights of orange. 1950s.

Very good vintage condition with a little scattered pile wear. Wool woven onto cotton warp & weft. The rug is well woven and can be placed in an area of high foot traffic. Exact size is 6 ft. 9 in. by 4 ft. 4 in.

This motif impacts like a lightening bolt across a black sky; one of the most visually striking of all the marvelous tribal rug designs in the world.

Price is $319. Shipping is $37 or free pickup.

Please email me with questions, to request more photos, or to arrange a purchase. Thank you.

To view available rugs and art, please go to the SHOP section in the main menu.

A Moroccan handmade rug with a kaleidoscopic central medallion and intricate border — on a vivid crimson red field. Wool woven onto wool warp, which is more common in Moroccan rugs.

Handmade rugs from Morocco are less common than their Persian and Turkish counterparts. Last photo shows the back and the export tag. The quality is described, in French, as “extra superieure” and the design as “moderne”. The tag is dated 8 Jan 1384; converting from the Hijri calendar to the Gregorian calendar dates it to 1964. So the rug was woven in the early 1960s for export to Europe.

The rug was a little grubby coming out of an estate so I had it professionally washed.

Vintage rug in excellent condition with very little signs of wear to the medium thick wool pile.

If you include the fringe, the rug is 7 ft. 9 in. by 5 ft.

Moroccan rugs are quite popular with contemporary designers, and because of their limited availability, they can be quite pricy.

Moroccan weaving has been influenced by Turkish and to a lesser extent Persian weaving. Many of the rugs from Morocco are made by Berber tribal people weaving in the Atlas Mountains and feature geometric motifs.

This rug, however, is more formal and professional, and was woven for export rather than tribal use.

With its bold cheerful colors this carpet could easily light up the dullest room. Spectacular art for the floor!

To view available rugs and art, please go to the SHOP section in the main menu.

A Moroccan handmade rug with a floral central medallion and border — on a vivid rusty red field. Wool woven onto cotton warp. Handmade rugs from Morocco are less common than their Persian and Turkish counterparts.

Vintage rug in excellent condition with little signs of wear to the thick wool pile. The cotton fringe is very long on each end and appears free of wear, frazzling, or gaps. It’s a vintage piece but appears to have been used very, very lightly. 1960s – 1970s.

If you include the fringe, the rug is 8 ft. 5 in. by 5 ft. 6 in. Without the fringe just under 8 feet in length.

Moroccan rugs are quite popular with contemporary designers and because of their limited availability, can be quite pricy. Moroccan weaving has been influenced by Turkish and to a lesser extent Persian weaving. Many of the rugs from Morocco are made by Berber tribal people weaving in the Atlas Mountains and feature geometric motifs.

This rug, however, is more formal and professional, and was woven for export rather than tribal use. There is an export label underneath that denotes its origin as Morocco and its quality as “superior”. You can see it in the last photo, showing the back of the rug.

With its bold cheerful colors this carpet could easily light up the dullest room. Spectacular art for the floor!

To view available rugs and art, please go to the SHOP section in the main menu.

Classic Persian Kashan run with tomato red field, central medallion, and floral corners and borders. A bit of abrash (color variegation due to different wool dye batches), which lends a rug painterly qualities. The abrash is in the red field as shown in photo 2. Definitely woven in Iran — not a Pakistani or Indian copy.

Excellent overall condition for a vintage rug. Minor repair on the side cord, which is not even visible. Wool on cotton warp. 1960s. The last photo shows the back of the rug and you can see that it is a very dense and finely knotted carpet. Exact size is 6 ft. 11 in. by 4 ft. 5 in.

Extremely solid and you could place it in a high foot traffic area if need be.